It should be no secret that one of the main things that impact a business’ success or failure is the relationship that the employees have with their boss. While it’s true enough that employees who fear their boss may gradually turn in work and meet deadlines, there’s a huge difference between fear and respect – and being a compassionate leader who your team respects will always net you better results than trying to lead through fear.
Being a compassionate leader isn’t as hard as you might assume, and helping your employees grow to respect you instead of fear you is incredibly important. At Technalink, we’ve found a few simple tips can help ensure that your employees view you the right way.
• Don’t threaten or try to intimidate them. It’s never the right solution. Your employees will likely know what your overall company policies are, and instead of trying to threaten them it’s better to use a gentle but firm reminder and then let them adjust their actions accordingly.
• Lead by example. If you’re not willing to act in the same way that you tell your employees to, they’ll look at you as a tyrant instead of a leader. Get out there and work alongside your team and show them that you practice what you preach.
• Give credit where it’s due, don’t take credit that isn’t owed, and don’t blame others for your failings. This is huge. Employees deserve recognition when they turn in great performances, and they don’t deserve to be thrown under the bus if something falls apart that is out of their control. Simply put, always accept responsibility for your actions and make sure that your team gets credit when it’s due.
These simple steps are all it takes to start leading in a better way and to start getting the respect of your team. To be a compassionate leader, don’t forget to try to see things from the perspective of your employees and make sure that you are always fair, balanced, and that you approach every situation with this attitude.
If you’ll lead with more compassion, you’ll gain much more respect from your employees and be able to rest easy knowing that you’re helping them feel better about what role they play in your company.
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